MANCHESTER SHIT CANAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20263, 24 May 1929, Page 9

MANCHESTER SHIT CANAL.

ATTITUDE OF SHIPOWNERS. During recent years the Manchester Ship Canal Company has endeavoured to stimulate direct trade between New Zealand and the denselypopulated industrial area for which Manchester is tho port and distributing centre. Important improvements in cargo handling, bunkering arrangements, etc., were completed last year and the ship canal deepened to 30ft. for four miles at the seaward end, providing facilities for steamers to discharge cargo and complete outward loading. Referring to these improvements at 'he annual meeting of shareholders the chairman of the company said " There have been reasons in the past, no doubt, why some of the Conference Lines did not favour the Port of Manchester. When 1 tell you that it is the practice, weekly arid monthly, for steamships whosf- owners are in various conference groups, to load homewards, discharge their cargoes at the Manchester docks, and then because of conference restrictions, leave the port light to load cargo elsewhere, instead of loading at Manchester, you will bo surprised, if not amazed. That, however, is the case. 1 hope now thai these facilities are completed and in operation some of the Conference Lines, at least, will make a trial loading outwards from Manchester. Friends of ours with rough cargo are eager and anxious to load their goods to conference steamers in the ship canal and they have so expressed themselves to the steamship owners The directors, with the aid of tho Manchester Chamber of Commerce, are addressing themselves to this important question. 7 '